Special Occassions
by HecateA
Summary: At this time of the year, the Hogwarts professors are so swamped that Minerva and Pomona are going to have to hit two birds with one stone and make the best out of all this paperwork. Oneshot.


**Author's Note: **Here's your dose of weekendly fluff!

**Disclaimer: **The following characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and this story derives from her original works, storylines, and world. Please do not sue me, I can barely pay tuition.

**Warnings: **NA

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**Stacked with: **MC4A; Hogwarts; Sky's the Limit; Flouting Regulations

**Individual Challenge(s): **Bloomin' Time; Gryffindor MC; Hufflepuff MC; Spring Rain; Shipmas; Minerva's Migraine; Old Shoes; Themes and Things A (Love); Themes and Things B (Reunion); Themes and Things C (Flowers); The 3rd Rule; Ethnic and Present (Y); Rian-Russo Inversion (Y); Flags and Ribbons (Y); In a Flash; Yellow Ribbon; Yellow Ribbon Redux; In a Flash (Y)

**Representation(s): **Pomona Sprout/Minerva McGonagall

**Bonus challenge(s): **Clio's Conclusion; Second Verse (Bechdel Test); Chorus (Bee Haven)

**Tertiary bonus challenge: **Satisfaction

**Word Count: **762

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_**Summer Bingo**_

**Space Address (Prompt):** 1C (Red)

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**Special Occasions**

The knock caught her attention, and she smiled when she saw Pomona in the doorway of her office. Pomona in a creamy beige dress speckled with green and yellow leaves, actually. She'd allowed her braids to tumble down her back, instead of twisting them up into a bun or tucking them under a headscarf as she would before a long day of classes and tending to Hogwarts' gardens. Pearl earrings that Minerva recognized from last Valentine's Day were pinned to her ears, and stood out starkly against her skin.

"You dressed up," she smiled.

"You did too."

"Yes but you're wearing a _dress," _Minerva said.

"Don't laugh, I see that you lit candles," Pomona said, her eyes surveying Minerva's office before stepping in and closing the door behind her.

"And you brought flowers," Minerva smiled.

"Of course I did," Pomona said. The bouquet was balanced over the pile of essays she'd brought to grade. Careful not to drop anything, she clutched the stack of papers to her chest and used her newly freed hand to pass the bright red flowers along.

"What are these?" Minerva asked. She'd learned to ask before breathing in the scent or touching anything that Pomona brought. This bunch in particular looked like tulips, but there was no way they were actually tulips. She knew Pomona well enough.

"They're called Billowing Blooms," Pomona said. "My seventh years and I grew them for the first time this year, after modifying seeds we got from a Germna botanist. If you put them in water they'll last about a week and lift off into the air before they wilt."

"Impressive," Minerva said. She kissed Pomona's cheek and waved her wand, transforming a stray teacup into a suitable vase. With a quick "_Aguamenti," _she filled up the vase before setting the flowers down.

Pomona had set down her paperwork on Minerva's desk, where she'd pulled up Pomona's favourite chair earlier in the day in anticipation, and was now wandering around her office. The skirt of her dress swung around her knees like a swing dancer's as she walked.

"These smell fantastic," she said, bringing one of the unlit candles to her nose.

"I thought you might like them, based on that conversation we had with Horace about amortentia," Minerva smiled.

"I do love the smell of lavender and… vanilla?"

Minerva nodded, and opened one of her desk drawers to retrieve two wine glasses a bottle.

"We can't drink while we grade," Pomona laughed.

"Don't worry, I know. It's sparkling apple cider," Minerva laughed. "I do have a bottle of wine we should get to soon, but I am well aware that joint grading sessions are apparently the only way we can make time to see each other nowadays…"

Pomona smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry. The greenhouses are high maintenance at this time of the year…"

I'm glad that you've got plenty to do and that the equinox harvest is looking good. You're always happiest when you're busy," Minerva said, tapping her wand to the bottle so that it started pouring. She turned back to Pomona and smiled. It was a senseless, goofy smile—she was just so happy to finally find herself alone in a room with this adorable woman who had dressed up and brought flowers to _do paperwork_. "I'm not complaining."

"You better not because _Quidditch, _out of all things, has been taking more than its fair share of your time," Pomona said.

"We're winning this year, if it's the last thing James Potter and I do."

She held out her hands and Pomona grinned, crossing the room to take them before leaning in to kiss her. It made Minerva happy that, no matter how dressed up Pomona looked at the moment, there was still dirt under her fingernails.

"That I am," she said. "Though I'm quite happy to be here now, too."

"We'll always make time," Minerva said, squeezing her hands. "Even if we still have to be sharing it with the 300 or so students wandering these halls."

"Anything that makes _grading _a special occassions is virtually invaluable in my book," Pomona said. "Though I should tell you that I think I hinted to Horace what we'd be up to tonight, and I think he felt a bit snuffed that he wasn't invited…"

"He most certainly is not," Minerva said.

Pomona laughed and reached for the two glasses on her desk, now full, and passed one to Minerva. She raised hers in a toast.

"To special occasions," she said.

"To special occasions," Minerva agreed before they clinked their glasses together.


End file.
